Monday, September 04, 2017

Hello everyone and welcome back to The Path of Positivity Challenge Blog! I hope that you have all enjoyed your summer. It is really amazing just how quickly these past two months have flown. It is hard to believe that it is Labour Day already and that most children will be heading back to school tomorrow. We have just entered the last third of the year and I can't wait to see what it has in store for all of us!

Right now it is time to get back on track with our challenges. We have something rather unique planned for you over the next three months but you'll have to wait just a few seconds before I get into the details. First up, we need to get the basics out of the way.

This time around, for Challenge #51, the optional theme* is "SURROUND YOURSELF...with ART".
Here is what you need to know...

The Basics

While you can find out ALL the information you need to know in order to participate in the challenge by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page (or by clicking HERE), here is a refresher of the basics.

ALL entries must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature.

*Each month there will also be an OPTIONAL theme to follow. Participants must follow the optional theme in order to win the prize for Most Inspirational. If you choose to follow the theme, please follow the instructions below to ensure that you are considered for this prize.

All entries that abide by the general rules of the challenge, will be eligible to receive the Random Prize.

For both prizes, you can make any sort of project you'd like (i.e.,
scrapbooking page, card, tag, mixed media, digital, etc.). In fact, you
don't have to create a project at all. You may just have something to
say that is motivational or encouraging in some way, or a written
passage that expounds on the nature of the theme. Project, written
passage or both! It is completely up to you.

Now that the basics are out of the way, how about we get on with the details of Challenge #51.

Challenge #51

Optional Theme: SURROUND YOURSELF...with ART

We
have something different to share with you over the next three months
and we hope you will all enjoy it. Katrina, one of my amazing team
members has come up with a really intriguing concept. This fall our themes will be to Surround Yourself with Positivity in the form of the ARTS!
Each month for the next three months we'll explore the positive
influence of three different artistic concepts: Art, Literature and
Music!

To kick it off we will start with Art!
One of the best parts of having computers is having access to the works
of the artistic masters in our own home! We can google famous artists
from Botticelli, Monet, or Rembrandt to Remington, Rockwell, or Noel
and see their works! We can check out political cartoons, comic strips,
and graffiti! We can also study sculptures, glasswork, and
architecture.

Look around your home and consider what is
hanging on your walls. Usually we choose to hang pictures or artwork
that makes us feel happy and positive. Everything from our dishes to
our furniture tells something about our artistic likes.

Now
it’s time to walk around your house and really study what’s there. Check
out some art on the web or in a museum. Turn in your paper to the
comic strip. Find out what sort of art inspires you in a positive
way! Then, if you would like a chance to win the prize for the Most Inspirational Creation,share your inspiration and project with us; we can’t wait to
see what you create and learn about yourself on this journey!

Keep in mind, we are thinking about how different kinds of art affects us as individuals. It’s not really about doing
something “visually" art related. For example, any positive image that reminds us of any piece
of art works or we could use the style of a famous painter on any image. I've included a brief synopsis from each of the team members tying their projects into the theme so that you can see how they have interpreted this unique concept.

If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your
name so that we include you in the draw for the prize for Most
Inspirational. Remember, we also ask that you please leave a comment letting us
know how your creation relates to the concept of art and what you learned about yourself along the way, if it isn't
clearly written somewhere else
in your post. While you may easily see how your creation ties into the theme, it may not be as apparent to me or the DT members. That
is why we ask that you clarify it somewhere, whether here or in your
blogpost. You can simply write a sentence or paragraph at the bottom of your post
next to the link up for this challenge, if it would be easier. We just
need to know how your project ties into the theme. Letting us know,
clears up any ambiguity that may exist.

Remember, in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, ALL creations must be
positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature.
You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a
chance at the Random Draw prize of a $12 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps, one of our guest sponsors this month. You only need to follow
the theme
if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $15 gift certificate from Lunagirl, provided by the second of our
guest sponsors this month.

Talking of our guest sponsors...

This month we have one returning sponsor and one brand new one! It is
time to refresh ourselves with the details of the second but first let's get to know the first a little better.

Everything That You Ever Wanted to Know About Bugaboo Stamps: A Short Essay
As
if raising five children in the frozen land of the North was not enough
of a challenge, Jodie Mackrell decided to dip her cold little Canadian
toes into the world of papercrafting by opening an online store full of
her illustrations. That was seven years ago. Today Bugaboo Stamps is one
of the leading companies in digital images, and we're still growing!
From seriously snarky to sugary sweet to sublimely soulful all the way
over to the other side of the super sexy spectrum, you're bound to find
all that you need and more to create your paper projects. Jodie works
very hard to provide New Releases and Freebies every week!Store: https://bugaboostamps.comChallenge Blog: http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.ca/

Check out the awesome images the team worked with for their projects for
the beginning of this challenge. Clicking on the watermarks will take you to their location in the store.

My name is Karen, owner of Lunagirl Images. In 2004, after collecting
vintage ephemera for most of my life, I started digitizing and restoring
images and designing digital supplies for artists and crafters (my
husband collected antique books and prints, so we had quite a house
full!) We are proud to have been the first company to offer digital
vintage image collections of this size and quality at prices affordable
to the home crafter.

At
Lunagirl.com (and in my etsy shop) I currently offer you several hundred
unique digital collage sheets and dozens of themed craft CDs -- over
30,000 images so far! They are a great resource for card making,
scrapbooking, jewelry making, and much more, easy to use, carefully
researched and curated, all thoughtfully organized and lovingly cleaned
up, ready to you to use in your projects. I love altering and
embellishing these beautiful and fascinating images and seeing what my
customers create with them.

In
addition to digital art and design, I enjoy painting on wood, creating
assemblage icons and shrines, reading history books, bellydancing,
cooking, and sewing with my vintage Singer. I'm also blessed to be the
mom of two teenaged boys.

If you're looking for something in particular in vintage style, feel free to email me at info@Lunagirl.com!

Below you will see the fabulous collage sheets that team members used
images from for their projects for the beginning of this challenge. Clicking on any of the image watermarks will take you to their location
within the LG store...

Angel Children Digital Collage Sheet

Meet Me In Paris Digital Collage Sheet

Summer Garden Digital Collage Sheet

We are fortunate and blessed to have
the chance to work with all these awesome goodies for the start of this challenge. Thanks so
much to our fabulous sponsors. Be sure to come back at the midway when
you'll get to see more beautiful projects created with images from these wonderful companies.

Now
check out what my amazing design team came up with to inspire you. Don't forget that I have included a brief synopsis from each of the team members tying their projects into
the theme so that you can see how they have interpreted this
unique concept. Clicking on each team member's name will take
you to their blog where
you can check
out further details on their inspirational creations...

Tie in to theme:

"How does my card relate to ART? Everyone has their own unique reaction
to a piece of art. No matter what that reaction is, you should be moved.
I have seen art that made me laugh, cry, and feel uplifted. Bugaboo's
Stella just happens to get hot flashes whenever she comes across a
statue by Michelangelo. Go figure!"

Tie in to theme:

"On my blog I will be talking about how important light source is when coloring, and how we can learn from studying the masters."

Tie in to theme:

"I'm a huge fan of Nancy Noel, an artist who had a studio not 20 miles
from me! She did a beautiful collection of angel children and used them
in some very lovely books: All God's Creatures Go to Heaven, Believe,
On Earth as it is in Heaven, etc. I have these books and several copies
of her work in my home. I'll have more stories about her in my blog!"

Tie in to theme:

"My card is inspired by a painting that (my husband) Tim's mum did of his dad setting
off to go fishing. I have a photo of the original painting in my blog
post."

Tie in to theme:

"I'm trying to surround myself with art work as when I moved in here I
was surrounded by white walls. I have a number of canvasses hanging on
the wall but I wanted something to put on top of the bookcase."

My amazing design team never
disappoints! They each have their own unique styles and ideas. As
always I am blown away by the
quality of their projects! Each of these projects has showcased the
concept of 'surrounding oneself with art' in various forms and manners and I hope we have
inspired
you. Be sure to go and visit each of them so you can see how their
projects further connect to the theme.

So
what are you waiting for? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. If you've opted to follow the theme of 'surrounding yourself with art'' for the chance to win the Most Inspirational prize, provide an explanation of how your
project and/or post relates to the theme somewhere in your post or come
over and leave a comment with the explanation. Easy, peasy!

If
you have some time, please visit other people participating throughout
the month. I've included the summary of the challenge details below. If
you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus
behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog).

I hope to see you back next Monday when votingwill start on the Top Picks for Challenge #50.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ART...

If you need some motivation to get you started, I've provided a quote
for you, which you can find below. I've done one with a swash and then just the word art alone.

Please be sure to click on it to bring it up into the lightbox in its proper size before saving it.

Click on the font names to take you to a download location. The first
font
listed is free and was listed for commercial use at the time of
download. The second font listed was a limited time freebie that came
with extended licensing. While the font is no longer available for free,
you can purchase it through the original store. It is my
understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts
in
my creations and offer them to others for free or for sale. Always
check to make sure the terms haven't changed before using the font on
something you sell.

You will notice that the sentiment may appear huge depending on what
software program you download it into. You can always reduce the size
without distorting the overall look.

Additional items used (Swash Background)
In the word art creation with the painted swash background I have also used:

Whether
you are new and need to familiarize yourself with all the details, or a
returning participant and just need to refresh yourself, you can
always find out everything
you need to know in order to enter this challenge in the
'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page. I've provided a quick
summary below. Please note that dates and times listed below are for
this particular challenge only:

Each Path of Positivity challenge will remain open for approx. a full
month. Entries for this challenge will be accepted from September 4th to October 1st, 2017.

Add your inspirational project or post using the link up below. You will be able to submit your entry until 11:59 p.m. on October 1st.

If you have chosen to follow the optional theme, you will need to let us know what it is about your
project or post that you feel is inspirational / positive / motivational and how
it fits into the theme. Please include this information
somewhere within your post. You can simply add a sentence or two at the
bottom of your post right next to the link for this challenge if you
want. Or, if this isn't possible, come over and leave us a comment on
the start post. You must also add 'FT' after you name so we know
which creations to add to the draw for the sponsor's prize for Most
Inspirational.

Don't forget to come back throughout the month and visit others that have participated.

You can link up a total of three (3) creations.

Voting for this challenge will begin once the top picks have been
determined. There will be a separate post detailing those picks. You
will then have the opportunity
to vote on the creation or post that you have found to be the most
inspirational of the chosen picks.

For Challenge #51, prizes will be the following:

A $15 gift certificate from Lunagirl, one of our guest sponsors this
month, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch.

A $12 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

If you ever have any questions be sure to EMAIL ME or just leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Link Up Below:
If you have any problems linking up, please be sure to let me know by leaving a comment
on this post.

Challenge #51--Optional Theme: SURROUND YOURSELF...with ART
This is the place to link up something that you have created during the
month that you consider positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You will be able to submit entries to this collection up until October 1stat 11:59 pm. Be sure to add FT after your name if you followed the optional theme. Please see above for all the rules and details.If you would like to be a Guest Designer in a future challenge, please add the letters GDT after your name.

Challenge Badge

Current Challenge

Winners

The winners have been announced for Challenge #64. To see who won and who was chosen as a DT Delight, click HERE. To see the top picks, click HERE. To see all the details of the original challenge, click HERE.

To see a list of the winner's from all other previous challenges, click the "Challenge Win Information" tab at the top of this page.

Welcome to the Path of Positivity!

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa. In an effort to create a Path of Positivity for people to follow to bring sunshine to our corner of the blogging world, I have created a new type of challenge. To learn the impetus behind its creation, check out the 'Introduction' tab at the top of this page. You will also find tabs in the same location letting you know about the 'Challenge Details', 'Sponsors & Prize Information' and one for 'Challenge Win Information'.

I hope that you will consider adding your positive creations to the Path and join me in this new adventure! If you'd like to visit me on my personal blog click on the Decosse's Dynamite Doodles Badge below.

If you have any questions you can email me at pathofpositivity [at] gmail [dot] com (don't forget to remove brackets and spaces and replace at with the @ sign and a . for where it says dot. Unfortunately, we have to try to keep those spammers away by camouflaging our email addresses but such is life.

General Rules

While you can find out ALL the information you need to know in order to participate in the challenge by checking out the 'Challenge Details' tab at the top of the page, here is a refresher of the basics.

ALL entries must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Regular types of projects such as birthday cards, or other general type projects/posts will not qualify for the prizes. There MUST be an encouraging or motivational or inspirational vibe to the creation or post.

Each month there will also be an OPTIONAL twist to follow. Twists will strictly be for fun or to help you challenge yourself as a designer. There will be no prize associated with following the twist.

ALL entries that abide by the general rules of the challenge, will be eligible to receive both the Random Prize and the prize for Most Inspirational.

For both prizes, you can make any sort of project you'd like (i.e., scrapbooking page, card, tag, mixed media, digital, etc.). In fact, you don't have to create a project at all. You may just have something to say that is motivational or encouraging in some way .

You can link up a total of three (3) creations.

No backlinking.

Make sure when entering your project that you mention The Path of Positivityin your post with a link back to this blog.

Please remember to link directly to your blog post where we can see your creation, and not just the generic link to your blog.